The Neighborhood
by heidi1245401
Summary: They had all lived on the same street as long as they could remember. There was only one house on the road up for sale and in less than 24 hours it sold. A new comer will be taking up residence on Arkadia Ave. Right between the Blake's, smack dab in the middle of their crazy neighborhood. She's just looking for somewhere to call home, will this be it?
1. Chapter 1

"What do you mean it sold?" Octavia Blake raised her voice in the towns only realty office.

"I mean it sold, I didn't even have it up twenty four hours and it sold" Harper Mcintyre, the real estate agent argued.

"We didn't even get a chance to look at it" Octavia would have been intimidating if Harper didn't know her forever. The other agents suddenly had stuff to do the second she entered the office. Harper dated her brother Bellamy for a short time and now lived across the street from her with her boyfriend Monty Green.

"Did you even meet the person?"

"No, she called about it, sent paperwork, wired cash to the owner through lawyers, it was signed, sealed, and delivered in hours. She had her shit together O. My hands were tied. You can't tell a seller to wait when they have a cash offer, I need to make a paycheck too" Harper replied.

"Ughhh, who has that kind of cash?"

"Clarke Griffin, from what I understand she inherited it from the passing of a parent. I don't know anything else just that she wanted to start over, somewhere new" Harper answered.

"Nothing bad about her anywhere and she was very nice on the phone" she added.

"Yeah, but she didn't even look at it, who buys a house without looking at it?"

"Someone looking to start over new, they just want a destination, you could fix a house, you can't fix a location" Harper gave her a smile.

"Yeah alright, when is she supposed to move in?"

"Two days, give her a chance, you never know, you could like her"

"Yeah, it's not me I'm worried about."

"Your brothers a big boy, he will just have to keep his guests under control."

"Yeah, I see him being neighborly and all " Octavia huffed heading out the door. Harper shook her head seeing Bellamy cross the street to meet her on the sidewalk, she was sure he was headed to interrogate also but Octavia saved her, cutting him off, and they headed in the opposite direction together.

"Coast is clear" Harper called.

Maya, Jasper, and Monroe all appeared back at their desks.

"She's awful touchy" Maya noted.

"She lives next door, she's just curious" Harper laughed.

"Yeah, you have seen our neighborhood, there has never been anyone new" Jasper replied. He lived in the apartment in Monty and Harper's Basement. Harper smiled knowing she has seen Maya exit the apartment a few times during early morning hours.

"What do you think Monroe?"

"I think I'm glad I'm at the other end of the street" She replied getting back to her work. There was only eight houses on the road, all two story with good sized lawns. The older more victorian looking homes that you don't see anymore.

When you turned out of town onto Arkadia Ave, Octavia Blake was the first house on the right with Harper, Monty, and Jasper in the house directly across the street. Then you came the new owner Clarke Griffin, with Raven Reyes across from her. Next would be Octavia's Brother Bellamy who resided next to Miller and Bryan. Across from Bellamy was Murphy and Emori, and next to them was Monroe, Niylah and Fox.

In the younger days they were a troubled group, if there was ever any problems it was the first place people looked. Bellamy's mom pretty much took care of the whole group and when she passed away he pretty much took over that responsibility. They weren't kids anymore. The youngest of the bunch being Octavia at nineteen. The rest of them ranged from twenty to twenty five, Bellamy being the oldest. A good majority of the time they still acted like kids, they still had visits from the law from time to time and Bellamy still tried to guide them in the right direction, however he was lightening up on that now a days.

...

Two days went by incredibly quick and before they knew it the new owner was ready to move in.

Well before most of them knew it anyway...

Bellamy groaned rolling over. A constant noise waking him.

"What the hell is that?" he ran a hand over his face waiting to hear it again. There it was again, barking.

"Dogs? No one owns dogs on this street." he mumbled standing and moving to the window.

"Great" he growled seeing the two dogs in the new neighbors back yard.

He threw on shorts heading down the stairs, he glanced at the clock by the door. _7:00am._

He opened the door to see moving trucks lining the street in front of his house and his sisters. Hired movers unloading stuff quickly.

"Hey, where is the owner of the barking mutts?" he called out.

"Ms. Griffin, I'll send her out" a guy stated, he was gone briefly before returning with a woman. She had a mess of blonde curls piled on top of her head in a high ponytail, she was barefoot in shorts and a low cut tank top when she crossed her yard to his. If nothing else she was definitely something to look at, his thoughts were interrupted by the barking bringing him back to the problem at hand.

"That, cannot happen, people sleep" he stated motioning to the dogs jumping on the fence.

"I'm sorry if they are bothering you, once everything is brought in, I will let them in the house, it's just all new to them so they don't know what is going on, I was afraid they would get out and not come back, seeing as they aren't familiar with the area and all" she sent him a smile. She was far to happy this early in the morning.

"If this whole ordeal takes much longer, and I have to listen to that I am going to let them out myself. Would be a blessing if they didn't come back." he groaned walking away from her. She sighed walking over to the fence. She leaned on the cool metal.

"C'mon guys, be quiet, we haven't even been here an hour and already our neighbors don't like us." She whispered.

"Don't let him bug you, we usually don't let him out in public" The voice startled her. She turned to face a girl with blonde hair and full of smiles.

"I'm Harper, I talked to you on the phone. I live across the street"

"Oh yes, how nice to meet you!" Clarke smiled shaking her hand. Harper could see Bellamy was already at work as she could hear Clarke talking to the dogs when she first approached.

"So what's their names, what kind of dogs are they?"

"They are blue heelers and the smaller one is Callie, the larger one is Roscoe"

"Friendly?"

"Yes, of course" Clarke gushed. Harper could see she loved them. She laughed mentally, could tell Bellamy was going to hate them.

"Here comes the welcoming committee" Harper smiled seeing Monty, Jasper, and Octavia headed there way.

Everyone was all smiles introducing themselves. Octavia was too busy sticking her hands through the fence to pet the dogs to notice the new arrival till she heard a deep voice behind her.

"Better watch out they are vicious" the voice joked.

"They are not, only thing vicious is my neighbor, who apparently doesn't like dogs." Clarke joked. Octavia laughed.

"Your neighbor is me on that side, my brother on this side, and he doesn't like anything so don't pay him any mind" Clarke's face fell.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean"

"No worries, he's grumpy all the time, you get used to it" Octavia smiled. She turned to the man next to her.

"And you are?" she asked. She couldn't help but notice the body he had, his arms and shoulders were stretching that shirt to its capacity and she was willing to free him from it if he felt trapped.

"Lincoln, and who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" he asked taking her hand gently.

"Uh, Octavia" she replied, like she was unsure.

"Are you sure?" he joked.

"Yeah, sorry, not enough coffee, are you two a thing?" she motioned to Clarke.

"Nope, he's been my best friend for a long time. Just helping move, gonna stay around awhile and see if he likes it, maybe he will end up being another neighbor" Clarke smiled.

"Maybe, so far I'm liking what I see" he smiled obviously flirting with Octavia.

"Alright, well I have to get moving, the quicker I get everything inside the quicker I can take my barking mutts in the house, or so I've been informed. It was great to meet you all" she smiled.

"Yeah you too! " Harper replied, her Monty and Jasper headed back across the street, as Clarke disappeared in the house.

"I have to get to work, but If you need someone to show you around, let me know" Octavia sent Lincoln a smile as she walked away.

"I'll take you up on that once she's all moved in." he replied making his way up Clarke's steps

"You know where I live, just let me know" she waved before getting in her car and leaving.

"I like this place already" Lincoln announced walking in the house.

"Yeah I can see that, get back to work" Clarke joked throwing a pillow at him.

Her first encounter gave her second thoughts but she had a good feeling after meeting more of her neighbors, maybe this would work out for the best. She just wanted to belong somewhere.


	2. Chapter 2

Most of the house was unpacked, Lincoln took the dogs for a walk so she could finish up. She took the last of the garbage out to the small garage, which was now overflowing with trash. When she moved in the house, it was evident it hadn't been cleaned in some time, and after hours of cleaning and unpacking she officially was done and was pretty sure she was throwing away more than what she moved in with. However it felt good, clean up, throw out, start over. It was just what she needed.

She planned on making dinner just wanted to lay down for a minute. That's where Lincoln found her when he came home, sprawled out on the couch. He threw a blanket over her and ordered take out. She didn't even stir slightly till the coffee pot turned on the next morning.

They carried all the garbage out to the curb, Roscoe and Callie running around their feet. After a few trips they were done, Clarke opened the door letting Roscoe in before her, pausing when she didn't see Callie. She let out a whistle and Callie came running from Bellamy's yard to the door.

"Callie! You stay in our yard!" Clarke scolded, Callie hung her head knowing she was in trouble, the dogs went in the front door and out the back door into there fenced in area with toys in there mouths. Lincoln headed up to take a shower while Clarke started breakfast, she turned the stove on before cracking eggs in the non-stick pan. She threw the shells in the trash just as someone assaulted her front door.

She hurried to the door, the pounding was increasing in intensity on the door and in her chest. She feared something was really wrong, yanking the door open. There stood Bellamy Blake, mad as ever.

"What's wrong?" She asked trying to gain control of her heart rate.

"Your dogs were in my yard." he growled.

"My dog's are in the backyard" she replied.

"Well at some point they weren't, because I stepped in shit this morning going to my truck." he ground out through clenched teeth.

Clarke stood there quietly. He was mad and that was evident but in her opinion he was blowing it out of proportion. She even went as far as opening her mouth to tell him that was her opinion before she stopped herself, last thing she needed was an argument in her doorway.

"I'm sorry, I'll make sure they stay in my yard" she replied.

A loud sound made her jump, the fire alarm. She turned jogging into the kitchen leaving Bellamy on the front porch, door open. She pulled the now burnt eggs off the stove dropping the pan in the sink before heading back to the door.

"They come in my yard again and I'll call animal control." He growled stomping off to his truck.

She shut the door quietly, leaning against it, she could hear his truck peel out of the driveway. She sighed looking at the back door. Both dogs sat in the window holding a toy in their mouth. She shook her head walking towards them and opening the door. They came in running around her, jumping on her and licking her.

"You two, please behave, please. I don't want any problems, I need this fresh start" she pleaded.

"What's burning?" Lincoln asked entering the kitchen.

"Eggs, my new beginning" she sighed getting another skillet from the cabinet.

"I heard your neighbor, he seemed extra nice this morning" Lincoln chuckled. She just shot him a look before making breakfast for the second time.

They headed out, Clarke in search of a job and Lincoln to see the sights. She locked the house up startled by a voice yelling across the street.

"You must be Clarke, the keeper of the mutts" she turned to see a woman , tall, tan, beautiful and standing with a smile.

"Yeah "Clarke replied with a sigh.

" I'm Raven, nice to meet you, don't mind Bellamy he's just uptight. I told him it was good luck to step in shit, after I stopped laughing of course. You should have seen him dragging his foot across the yard, it was priceless, I wish I got it on video"" she chuckled.

Clarke and Lincoln both laughed with her. She was funny and upbeat. Lincoln introduced himself before Raven announced she was late to work and they all went there separate ways.

"I like her" Clarke told Lincoln as they climbed in the car.

"There are a lot of pretty women here, I'm more partial to Ms. Blake" he smiled.

"I didn't mean like that"

"Oh I know, But I did" he assured her.

Clarke combed the streets, handfull of resumes, and full of hope. After she covered most of the town she was starting to lose hope.

Jobs were far and few between, she was coming down to her last few stops. She entered the novelty shop, had a bit of everything. She looked around and stopped seeing the dark haired neighbor Octavia.

"Hey, I was wondering if you guys are hiring?"

"We are, nights though. 5-11 pm, something you would be interested in?"

"Yeah, I have to pay the bills, can't be picky. Plus only got the dogs waiting on me and they will be fine" She smiled, half out of relief that someone was considering hiring her and half excited that she was headed home after this.

"Perfect. You start tomorrow be here at quarter to 5" Octavia smiled. Clarke tried to hand her a resume.

"I don't need that, see you tomorrow" she finished before sliding a box off the counter and heading into the back.

Clarke was ecstatic she found a job.

"You seem awful happy about a job that you don't need" Lincoln laughed.

"I do need it, I always hated that I wasn't allowed to work. If it wasn't for you sneaking me out the second story window all the time I would've died of boredom. I want to fit in, I don't want people to know anything about me, that's why I left."

"I know a fresh start, a seven figure bank account and your gonna work at some little shop in town probably for minimum wage, just strikes me as funny. From evening gowns to overalls."

"Lincoln" she cut him off, he could tell he hit a nerve.

"Sorry" he stated slipping his hands in his pockets as they walked in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

She was super excited to start her new job. Her first job, the only job she has ever had, the more she thought about it, the more she became nervous.

Clarke is the daughter of Abigail Kane and Jake Griffin. Her father ran one of the largest aerospace electronics and computer database firms in the world. He died in a tragic accident at NASA headquarters, launching test flights. Leaving her quite the inheritance.

After a few years her mother married her stepfather Marcus Kane who is now the Secretary General of The United Nations. Abby and Clarke do not talk often, the relationship is and has been strained ever since Jake died.

She needed normalcy, she needed friends, hell she needed anything that kept her away from her past. They moved a lot when she was young, only after her father died did they stay in the same town until Clarke graduated. She was the poor little rich girl, no daddy and a mother who didn't want to be bothered. She attended a pricey private school where the girls were beyond nasty and wasted no time reminding her where she stood among them.

Lincoln was a friend she met at the local park, her only friend. When she needed a few hours to get away, he would help her escape from her life. He would climb the trellis and sneak her out the window.

Working was never anything she needed to do, and it still wasn't. Which may be why she wanted to so bad. She showered, put makeup on, braided her hair and headed out with more than enough time to walk there.

She paused outside, looking up at the sign.

 _'Gifts of the Goddess'_

"Well here goes nothing" she opened the door and walked in.

The bell above the door jingling and signalling her arrival.

Octavia peeked around a display.

"Perfect, right on time! You can set your purse and sweatshirt in the back, there is an office, feel free to use one of the chairs to hold your stuff." She smiled pointing to the door behind the counter.

Clarke made her way back to the office, two desks sat back to back with papers scattered everywhere. She dropped her stuff in a free chair and headed back out.

"Okay so walk around, get a feel for what we have and where everything is, then when we get a customer I'll show you how to work the register." Octavia instructed.

"Okay, sounds good" Clarke replied making her way through the store, straightening up and taking note of everything on shelves and displays.

"You work nights usually?" Clarke asked.

"Now yes, but once your all trained you will be by yourself from 7 to 11. My brother and I work during the day and your days off. We usually cut out around 7"

"Do you own the store?"

"Bellamy and I are partners" she replied.

"You guys are really close huh?"

"Yeah, I know he seems like an ass, and lets face it most the time he is, he really is nice, he means well and hes a great big brother."

Clarke smiled at her answer. She loved her brother that much was clear.

"I always wished I had a sibling, Lincoln was the closest thing to a brother I had"

"Speaking of Lincoln, what's that situation?" Octavia walked down the same aisle as her.

"He's my best friend. He's single, loves to go out and have fun, you should stop over and talk with him sometime, maybe you guys will hit it off" Clarke offered.

"Yeah I'd like that, he's definitely cute"

The girls walked the aisles and straightened everything out, the door jingled breaking up the endless chatter.

"Good evening, how are you?" Clarke asked. She was ducked down below a display leaving her out of sight.

"Uh good, where and who are you?"

"I'm Clarke and I'm right, oh its you" she said surprised

"Yup it's me and you are here because?" he raised his eyebrow waiting for an answer.

"Because I hired her" Octavia replied from the back.

"You what? Without asking?"

"We said we wanted another person, she needed a job"

Bellamy looked irritated and defeated.

"Fine, but shes your problem" he stated.

"She has a name and is still in the room" Clarke Stated. He just threw his hands up and stormed off to the back.

"Okay, so why does he not like me? Cant just be the dogs right?"

"He just doesn't know you, he will come around, just wait and see" Octavia replied confidently.

The night went quickly, Bellamy left around 9 without so much as a word. They had a few customers so Clarke learned the register and deposit procedures.

The girls closed up around 11 and walked home together. Clarke could hear the music before they turned the corner.

Bellamy's house was lit up, every room in the house had lights on and people were standing on his porch, in the yard, in the driveway.

"Is it alway as like this?

"Nope usually only Friday and Saturdays." Octavia replied.

"Till what time?"

"1ish usually " she answered just as a whistle was sent in there direction.

"Octavia, who's your friend?" a voice called from the porch.

"This is Clarke, our new neighbor"

"Well hello neighbor Clarke, I'm Finn" he called from the porch.

"Hi" she answered with a wave.

"He's one of Bellamy's friends, stay away from his friends if you know whats good for you. They are all idiots" Octavia explained.

They were just about to her driveway when Lincoln came out.

"Hey, where are you headed?" Clarke asked.

"The party next door, you gonna be there ? " he smiled turning his attention toward Octavia.

"Yup soon as I get out of work clothes, I'll see you there, you too Clarke"

Clarke glanced at Bellamy's house.

"Yeah, in few minutes" she walked down the path to her door, and made her way to the closet.

"Now to pick something to wear"


End file.
